AGXStarseed
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(Not written by me)
CATHERINE Simpson says the struggle of bringing up a child with Asperger’s was nothing compared to reactions to her daughter. She’s written a novel to help others be more accepting.
Sunday Mail, 7 Days, Real Life Author Catherine Simpson (r) with her autistic daughter Nina.
WHEN Catherine Simpson’s autistic daughter was a child she felt trapped – not by her little girl but by other people’s attitudes to her child’s behaviour.
So when the freelance journalist decided to write her first book, it was her experiences raising the wonderful yet challenging Nina that she used as inspiration.
Catherine, 51, of Penicuik, Midlothian, hopes her debut novel, Truestory, about a mum whose life is dictated by her autistic son, will help others understand how bringing up a child with autism can be as rewarding as it is difficult.
The mum-of-two said: “My daughter is amazing, intelligent and loving. I wouldn’t change her in any way. Her autism is part of who she is and I am proud of who she has become.
Author Catherine Simpson with her autistic daughter Nina when she was 18 months old.
“Bringing up Nina, although a huge struggle at times, wasn’t the hardest part, it was dealing with other people’s attitudes to her outbursts and behaviour. I hope my fictional tale will make the world more accepting and tolerant of people with autism. I also hope that highlighting a family’s struggle will increase understanding and encourage empathy.”
The book tells the story of Alice and her son Sam, who refuses to leave their remote Lancashire farm until a stranger beguiles him with tales of the outside world.
Catherine said: “Alice chooses the opposite road to us, she decides to withdraw from society and shut everyone out whereas we kept taking Nina out and encouraged her to have a life away from home.
“None of the characters in Truestory are based on anyone I know but the situation of feeling trapped with a child no one else understands is similar to my own.”
Catherine and husband Marcello, 49, knew there was something different about Nina, now 20, from very early on.
The whole family - Nina, Catherine, Lara and Marcello
The writer, who grew up on a Lancashire dairy farm, said: “I suppose I knew something was wrong when she was a baby but as she was my first, I had nothing to compare her behaviour to. When she was two, I took her to the hospital convinced she was ill.
“Back then there was less awareness of autism and it took another eight years before Nina was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome.
“Nothing can prepare you for being told your child is autistic. Although we had always expected it, hearing it came as quite a shock.
“The diagnosis at age 10 helped us get help from speech and language therapists and psychiatrists but unfortunately didn’t stop her being bullied. After two hellish years at high school, we had to withdraw Nina but we managed to enrol her in the Edinburgh Steiner School and she never looked back.
“She achieved five As in her Highers and is now going into her third year at Edinburgh University studying German. We are all so proud of her.”
Nina, who is about to spend a year teaching English in Germany, still takes everything you say at face value.
Catherine, also mum to Lara, 17, said: “Nina is very intelligent and has a flair for languages but she still takes everything literally so you have to be careful how you phrase things. She is also a perfectionist and gets frustrated at anything less than perfection. I am nervous and excited about her going abroad but we’ve tried not to wrap her up in cotton wool.”
The author, whose book hits stores this week, has written real life stories for magazines and newspapers for years and in 2008 started an Open University course in creative writing.
She said: “There had been so many incidents with Nina, I found myself sitting at home waiting for a problem to arise. I wanted to make use of my time so signed up for a writing course. Then I did an MA at Napier University. As part of my degree, I had to write a 20,000-word short story. That’s when I came up with the idea for Truestory.
“Someone suggested I turn the tale into a book so I took advice from experts. I wrote it again from scratch and Sandstone Press agreed to publish it. My book is a labour of love which has been more than five years in the making but it’s all been worthwhile. Being able to hold a copy in my hand is very surreal. My daughters have given it their seal of approval. Lara says there is a little bit of Nina on every page, which is the biggest compliment.
“Truestory is ultimately a tale of hope and that is an emotion we as a family have never lost sight of. Life is full of challenges but Nina is proof that hope can keep everyone going.”
True Story by Catherine Simpson
Truestory by Catherine Simpson, published by Sandstone Press, is out on September 17, priced £8.99.
SOURCE: http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/real-life/autism-made-life-hard-bullies-6430715
RELATED: http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/science-technology/around-half-children-been-bullied-6436056
CATHERINE Simpson says the struggle of bringing up a child with Asperger’s was nothing compared to reactions to her daughter. She’s written a novel to help others be more accepting.
Sunday Mail, 7 Days, Real Life Author Catherine Simpson (r) with her autistic daughter Nina.
WHEN Catherine Simpson’s autistic daughter was a child she felt trapped – not by her little girl but by other people’s attitudes to her child’s behaviour.
So when the freelance journalist decided to write her first book, it was her experiences raising the wonderful yet challenging Nina that she used as inspiration.
Catherine, 51, of Penicuik, Midlothian, hopes her debut novel, Truestory, about a mum whose life is dictated by her autistic son, will help others understand how bringing up a child with autism can be as rewarding as it is difficult.
The mum-of-two said: “My daughter is amazing, intelligent and loving. I wouldn’t change her in any way. Her autism is part of who she is and I am proud of who she has become.
Author Catherine Simpson with her autistic daughter Nina when she was 18 months old.
“Bringing up Nina, although a huge struggle at times, wasn’t the hardest part, it was dealing with other people’s attitudes to her outbursts and behaviour. I hope my fictional tale will make the world more accepting and tolerant of people with autism. I also hope that highlighting a family’s struggle will increase understanding and encourage empathy.”
The book tells the story of Alice and her son Sam, who refuses to leave their remote Lancashire farm until a stranger beguiles him with tales of the outside world.
Catherine said: “Alice chooses the opposite road to us, she decides to withdraw from society and shut everyone out whereas we kept taking Nina out and encouraged her to have a life away from home.
“None of the characters in Truestory are based on anyone I know but the situation of feeling trapped with a child no one else understands is similar to my own.”
Catherine and husband Marcello, 49, knew there was something different about Nina, now 20, from very early on.
The whole family - Nina, Catherine, Lara and Marcello
The writer, who grew up on a Lancashire dairy farm, said: “I suppose I knew something was wrong when she was a baby but as she was my first, I had nothing to compare her behaviour to. When she was two, I took her to the hospital convinced she was ill.
“Back then there was less awareness of autism and it took another eight years before Nina was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome.
“Nothing can prepare you for being told your child is autistic. Although we had always expected it, hearing it came as quite a shock.
“The diagnosis at age 10 helped us get help from speech and language therapists and psychiatrists but unfortunately didn’t stop her being bullied. After two hellish years at high school, we had to withdraw Nina but we managed to enrol her in the Edinburgh Steiner School and she never looked back.
“She achieved five As in her Highers and is now going into her third year at Edinburgh University studying German. We are all so proud of her.”
Nina, who is about to spend a year teaching English in Germany, still takes everything you say at face value.
Catherine, also mum to Lara, 17, said: “Nina is very intelligent and has a flair for languages but she still takes everything literally so you have to be careful how you phrase things. She is also a perfectionist and gets frustrated at anything less than perfection. I am nervous and excited about her going abroad but we’ve tried not to wrap her up in cotton wool.”
The author, whose book hits stores this week, has written real life stories for magazines and newspapers for years and in 2008 started an Open University course in creative writing.
She said: “There had been so many incidents with Nina, I found myself sitting at home waiting for a problem to arise. I wanted to make use of my time so signed up for a writing course. Then I did an MA at Napier University. As part of my degree, I had to write a 20,000-word short story. That’s when I came up with the idea for Truestory.
“Someone suggested I turn the tale into a book so I took advice from experts. I wrote it again from scratch and Sandstone Press agreed to publish it. My book is a labour of love which has been more than five years in the making but it’s all been worthwhile. Being able to hold a copy in my hand is very surreal. My daughters have given it their seal of approval. Lara says there is a little bit of Nina on every page, which is the biggest compliment.
“Truestory is ultimately a tale of hope and that is an emotion we as a family have never lost sight of. Life is full of challenges but Nina is proof that hope can keep everyone going.”
True Story by Catherine Simpson
Truestory by Catherine Simpson, published by Sandstone Press, is out on September 17, priced £8.99.
SOURCE: http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/real-life/autism-made-life-hard-bullies-6430715
RELATED: http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/science-technology/around-half-children-been-bullied-6436056
